


Fear's Reprisals

by KeJae



Category: Chuck (TV), White Collar
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-26
Updated: 2017-04-16
Packaged: 2018-10-10 22:30:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10448955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KeJae/pseuds/KeJae
Summary: Neal’s biggest secret has been revealed. He isn’t Neal at all. Learning of his assassin trade, Peter reacts in fear. What is the reprisal for his fearful retreat?





	1. Chapter One

****

*******

The secret had been revealed.  Peter knew Neal wasn’t the man he appeared to be.  He wasn’t a con man, criminal, or non violent.  Neal was Bryce Larkin.  Agent Bryce Larkin.  A man renowned for his ability to get the job done, violently if necessary.  Bryce was a very different person than the friend he had come to think of as a brother.

So, despite everything they had been through, Peter wrapped his arm around his wife and pulled her closer to him.  He also took a step back in the process, away from the unknown danger, the threat his former friend posed.

Neal hadn’t been trustworthy, not completely.  He could be trusted with Elizabeth’s life, but not the heirloom silverware hidden in the bottom drawer of the china cabinet.  But Bryce, he took untrustworthy to another level.  The biggest risk with him wasn’t the potential for him to steal any valuables and ruin Peter’s career in the process… no, he was much more dangerous.  Bryce was trained to kill his target with ease, in so many potential ways that Peter didn’t want to think about it, and without the victim even seeing it coming.  Even being an agent, Bryce was far more dangerous and not to be trusted.  Because the game in the spy world means your friend today can be your enemy tomorrow, and that change could cost your life.

Trying to slow his racing heart, Peter realized that he knew nothing of his best friend.  Neal Caffrey had only been a sham, a cover role to hide the killer behind the charming mask.  Who could blame him if he felt fear in the face of this dangerous man, this unknown stranger, a government sanctioned killer?

“I’m sorry I scare you.  This will be the last time you see me… I promise.”  And with that the man was gone.  Like a puff smoke with mirrors, he disappeared.

Sagging into his wife, Peter felt palpable relief.  They were safe.  The assassin had gone, and they were alone at last.

“Peter… do you think?”  She left her sentence hanging.

Whether she was referring to his promise, or to the thought that Neal, no, Bryce, could be a threat to them, Peter had no idea.  His own mind was caught between sprinting in too many circles to understand, and being stopped dead in its tracks, like a deer in the headlights.  He couldn’t fathom how he had missed this, how he hadn’t seen the killer behind the charm, and that chilled him more.  White Collar wasn’t supposed to encounter serial killers and violent criminals, but that was what he suddenly pictured when he tried to understand the man behind the facade.  A man who killed on command and fought viciously to complete whatever job he was sent on.  The charming and friendly man was only a mask, he couldn’t imagine it to portray any remnant of the real man.

With the secret revealed, the man formerly known as Neal was gone, and life could pick up some semblance of normalcy… couldn’t it?

*******

His birthday rolled around, and a post card arrived.  It was similar to how it had been in the old days when Neal would send him a teasing note while remaining safely out of reach.

Not wanting to think about the man, Peter simply slipped the card back into its envelope after barely reading the general message.  The card was an artistic rendering of some site in Europe, but Peter wasn’t going to research to find what or where it was located.  He didn’t want to trip over the news that someone had died and wonder if they were the target Bryce had been sent after, a very different kind of victim than Neal left behind.

No, instead it was safer to put the card in a new box.  One titled ‘Bryce’ where he would put whatever cards and notes the man would send.  However, this box wasn’t kept at home as a fond chase with a brilliant and nonviolent opponent.  This was kept at work, for a violent and dangerous stranger.

Everyone in the office knew who Neal really was.  They understood why Peter had been so strongly affected. 

The reveal hadn’t simply been the unmasking of an undercover agent, it had been the destruction of his best friend, a sudden death if you will.  While Neal Caffrey had been erased from the system and laid to rest, Peter was left to pick up the pieces of his life.  He still had Elizabeth and his work, but there were holes where his best friend, partner, and favorite opponent used to be.

How he felt getting that first card was hard to describe.  Was it a feeling of renewed betrayal, loss, anger, or more fear?  Maybe it was a mixture of all afore mentioned emotions?  Neal had been a lie, he was gone never to return, the man who had played the role had retained his cover perfectly to the end, but the real man was an unknown and dangerous risk.  Peter hadn’t sorted his emotions out yet, so as he put the lid on the box to return it to the shelf, he also shelved his thoughts of his former best friend.  Their bond was severed, and it wouldn’t do to continue dwelling on it.

*******

It had been almost two years since Bryce left, and true to his word no one had seen him around.  The man had vanished into the Black Ops realm with nothing left to indicate his continued existence beyond the random cards and notes he sent to Peter on holidays and personal events like his birthday and anniversary.

The box barely had the bottom layered with the little messages.  Bryce never said much, and the pictures didn’t necessarily indicate anything, so they gathered dust in between holidays.

“Doesn’t it creep you out to be receiving fan mail from an assassin?”

Startle by his companion’s question, Peter didn’t have an answer.  The man had a point.  Wouldn’t it be disturbing to know that an assassin knew so much personal information about you that he sent you reminders of your upcoming anniversary, and occasionally even pointed out appropriate gift ideas for something your wife would like?  Shivering, Peter had to admit there was a creepy aspect to it, but it wasn’t something he focused on.  In a way, it was just normal behavior for the man after his behavior as Neal Caffrey.  What didn’t make sense was why he continued to send them.  Since he was a spy playing a role, their friendship wasn’t likely to be real.  Was it simply for old time’s sake because the man was bored?  He must be bored a lot then, because even little holidays didn’t always go missed. 

Who felt the need to send a Star Wars themed post card on May fourth?  Maybe it didn’t make sense because it was from Bryce instead of Neal, but then that didn’t make sense either.  If their friendship hadn’t been real, why would Bryce share anything real of himself?  Confused, Peter couldn’t help feeling like he was missing something, like it was staring him in the face.

Shaking his head, it was too late to answer his companion’s question, so he didn’t say anything at all.  It was time to head back to work.  Passing another patron of the coffee shop, it dimly crossed his mind that the article they were reading must be interesting, because their head ducked down for closer view as soon as he was close to them.  There was something familiar about the man, almost like… shaking his head again, Peter didn’t want to go there.  Bryce wasn’t spying on him in a coffee shop on his lunch break.  The man had gone back to his real life and was only dropping random notes on holidays.

*******

Another six months had passed and the notes had stopped.   Bryce no longer sent anything.  Not a post card, birthday card, or even a sheet of paper saying ‘Hi.’  There was nothing, absolutely nothing!

The lack of communication crossed Peter’s mind when he didn’t get a birthday card.  It was the first time since ‘Neal’ had learned his birthday that he hadn’t received a card from the man.  He didn’t expect it to hurt, but somehow, it did.  His friend had forgotten him, but then the man wasn’t his friend after all.  Their bond had been a sham, just like the man performing the other half of the partnership.

That was when Peter realized he had to face the facts.  Their friendship and bond had been real, on his side.  He missed working with Neal, missed his annoying way of helping him through those bad days, and missed their way of talking through difficult cases like iron sharpening iron. 

Why couldn’t Neal be real, why did he have to be a black ops agent on assignment?

Suddenly, Peter found himself shivering.  Trying to figure out why, the thought crossed his mind in more detail causing him to shudder.

What if Bryce wasn’t writing because he was… dead?

Unable to prevent the thoughts that followed, Peter found himself plagued with images of Neal Caffrey.  He was lying dead in the street of some foreign land while a shadow stood above him with a smoking gun, bound to a chair covered in blood as his head hung low and the torturer gave up trying to beat information from his corpse, a fiery explosion flashed through his mind while a man tried to escape the flames unsuccessfully.  Horrible and excruciatingly cruel ways to die filled his mind.  Even the FBI saw some bad ways for a person to die; it didn’t take the black ops world to provide fuel for the imagination.

Then it crossed his mind that it wasn’t Neal Caffrey, but Bryce Larkin out there facing these dangers.   That didn’t help ease his concerns, because he was still seeing the face of a friend going through pain and misery.

Even if Bryce was trained to handle such pains, and might have endured them before, he was also trained to inflict them on others which made it hard for Peter’s mind to find sympathy for the man.  But, even as his mind fought, his heart melted in fear at the thought of the man he had known going through such things.

For the first time since Bryce had left, he wished to get word, a glimpse, something to tell him that the man was alive and okay.

*******

A post card would have been nice, but instead the word Peter received was that he had been suspected of something… very illegal.  Something so bad that the CIA was sending Agent Bryce Larkin to investigate, and word on the street said he was investigating with a gun and bullets.  The man he had once considered a friend had been sent to kill him?

Peter wasn’t sure what to think of that, it must be some horrific nightmare.  If only could wake up?

Unfortunately, it seemed to be his waking reality despite his uncertainty as to how it had come about.  What had he allegedly done, and was it really so bad?  It wasn’t like he had done anything outside of his White Collar cases or anything beyond his usual FBI work.  How had he stepped on the CIA so badly they wanted him dead?

Heading home to tell Elizabeth why their lives were about to turn upside down, he couldn’t help the chill that ran down his spine.  He was being watched by cold and dangerous eyes.  Bryce must be nearby.

Not panicking, Peter knew he wouldn’t see his end coming.  Bryce had too much of a reputation for him to mess that up.  If he was going to kill him, it was going to be a surprise attack he didn’t see coming.  This must be him watching and planning, choosing when and where to take the shot.

Entering his home, Elizabeth didn’t take the news well.  She was afraid and angry.  “Why did he take the assignment to kill you?  Does your friendship mean anything to him?”

“Maybe he intends to make it a mercy killing, be kind where someone else might try to torture me?”  He couldn’t believe his ears.  Had he seriously said that?  Did he actually think an assassin would disregard orders to save an innocent man?  As much as he hoped so, he feared it wouldn’t be the case.  His guilt was already determined by a bunch of people who didn’t know him; who accused him of a crime he was sure he probably hadn’t committed.  Not like he knew what the crime was anyway.

Unable to determine which direction to take her emotions, Elizabeth burst into tears.  She was afraid for her husband, scared for herself, and definitely angry at the man she had once considered a friend.

With the clock ticking, Peter had to urge her to pull it together long enough for them to pack a bag.  They were going to be transported to a safe house until the threat of Bryce was no longer an issue.

Peter knew it was futile effort at best, because Bryce was close by watching them, knew how the agency worked, and was brilliant enough to pull it off regardless of their protection’s efforts.  Still, for Elizabeth’s sake, he would play along.  So he packed a bag, got into an armored SUV, and rode with his wife tucked into his side as they were taken to an undisclosed location.

*******

The next morning Peter’s suspicions were proven true.  He woke up with an orange suction cupped dart stuck to his forehead.  In fact, every smooth surface in the hotel room had one.  It was a message in and of itself, so the note in familiar hand writing only confirmed it.

“If I was going to kill you, you would be dead.” was placed beneath the toy gun that had been used to shoot the childish ammunition around the room.

“Honey…”  Elizabeth woke up questioning what had him disturbed, only to cut off when she noticed the mark on his forehead.

“Bryce was here.  Exactly as I suspected, putting us in a safe house is futile.”  He slumped over as he sat on the edge of their hotel room bed. 

“The room is several stories off the ground, we weren’t followed, the agents took every possible precaution… how did he find us?”  Elizabeth worried.  She was more scared than anything.  His little stunt had scared her.

“We’re talking about a professional assassin with the skills of an internationally renowned thief.  This wasn’t hard, especially since he was watching us the whole time.”  He sighed.

“Oh, honey.”  Elizabeth had moved to wrap her arms around him from behind.  She leaned into him crying at the hopelessness of their situation.  They didn’t stand a chance.

When the protecting agents entered their room to find the warning, they immediately began the process to relocate them somewhere more challenging to find.  They were going rural and leaving the city.  A single back country road was easier to watch than the multitudes of people and flowing traffic through the city.

Collecting their things, the agents used decoys and endeavored to ensure they weren’t being followed all day.  Then as night fell, they moved to leave the city.


	2. Chapter Two

*******

Watching the city pass them by, Peter was glad they were heading for more rural areas.  It meant the likely hood of fewer casualties, and gave a better chance for the agents to protect his wife.  He was pretty sure he wasn’t going to live to tell the tale.  Neal had been brilliant, but this was Bryce unleashed to use his full abilities instead of being restrained by a persona.  The assassin was unstoppable.

There was only a moment from the time Peter heard the vehicle accelerating to the time it collided with their armored vehicle.  Pushing at full speed, it drove them into the curb and over forcing them to roll onto their side before the driver could recover.  The surprise attack was quick and violent, messier than he expected Bryce to pull.

Dazed from the impact, Peter felt himself and Elizabeth being extracted while their protection was killed in the front seat.  This wasn’t what he had hoped for.  Surely Bryce would spare Elizabeth and the guards simply doing their duty… wouldn’t he?

Time was a blur as they were drug down a nearby ally and back from the visibility of the road.  Peter’s head throbbed and he wasn’t sure who was attacking.  He only knew he could hear Elizabeth’s whimpers coming from somewhere nearby.

Then as quickly as it had begun, their attackers found themselves under attack in turn.  Had there been more back up than he was aware of?  He could understand the agents pulling extra support considering the abilities of the man they were dealing with.

“There’s only one of them… it seems Agent Larkin isn’t going to make this easy for us.  We’ll have to kill him too.  Perhaps they fought more violently than the bosses expected?”  Someone seemed to be deviously amused.

Bryce is here?  But he isn’t the one behind the attack?  Peter’s mind had to shift to accept this new information.  It had seemed so likely that Bryce would be the death of him, that he hadn’t really considered anything else.

“Come out, come out, where ever you are?”  Someone sang into the darkness.

“You don’t want me to come out.  It won’t bode well for you as long as the Burkes are in danger.”  Bryce responded before moving as shots were fired in his direction.  His voice was cold and dangerous, something he expected of an assassin.

“What are you going to do about it?”  Grabbing the dazed Peter, the man put a gun to his head.  “I could shoot his brains out all over his misses, and there isn’t a thing you could do about it.”  He sneered into the darkness while holding Peter threateningly.

Feeling the kick in his chest, Peter wondered why Bryce had shot him in the vest instead of taking a kill shot or allowing his attacker to complete the job for him.  Elizabeth was still whimpering and crying off to the side.  She was probably watching her worst nightmare.  Hearing a second shot ring out, he suspected the end to the man beneath him when it whizzed past his head.

“I told you it wouldn’t bode well for you if I came out.”  Bryce replied calmly.  “The rest of you had better clear out, before you meet the same end as your leader.  Tell your boss he had better come after me if he wants the Burkes, because I’ll be standing in his way.”

Firing shots as they ran, the men tried to make sure he wasn’t following their retreat.  They had yet to see him, so they felt safer returning to their boss for instructions on how to proceed over taking on such a daunting opponent without leadership.

Hearing one ricochet, Peter was horrified to hear a grunt as it made contact with Bryce.

“Are you alright?”  Elizabeth was crouching down next to him shakily trying to avoid the dead man beneath him.

“Yeah, he hit my vest so it hurts, but there isn’t any damage.”  His voice wasn’t as strong as it usually was.  The situation had shaken him up and he was worried by everything he had witnessed.

“Back up is on its way and more protection will be here in a few minutes.  I’ll keep them as busy as I can until your name is cleared.  We all know you didn’t do it Peter.”  The voice in the darkness was softer, similar to Neal in his determination, but not the cold and dangerous tone it had carried only minutes before.

“Where are you hit?”  Peter called back.  He had heard the reaction so he wasn’t going to take a lie.

“Doesn’t matter.”  Bryce didn’t define the location, and seemed to be brushing his concern away.

“… it doesn’t!”  Peter shivered from the cold and didn’t get his whole sentence out, but Bryce was probably familiar with what he would say based on past speeches.  He never imagined he would be coaching Bryce on how to be careful in the field.  The man was a trained and seasoned agent after all.

“Not like it’s the first time I’ve been shot.”  Was muttered from above, but they could hear him clearly due to the silence around them.  “I’m an assassin remember, this is all part of the job and all that.”

There was nothing reassuring to the mutters, so Peter couldn’t help but call out again. “You still didn’t answer my question.  Bryce?”

Although they could hear to know he was still around, they only caught the glimpse of a shadow indicating a bleeding shoulder from his posture.  Then the new protection team was on site and Bryce disappeared again. 

It was the first time Peter had seen anything of his old friend in more than two years, and it was only a shadow indicating a wounded agent who had just saved his life.  Judging by the bloody footprints he saw while they were led to a new convoy, there was a lot of blood from Bryce’s injury indicating it was more than superficial.

That idiot.  The old remonstrance came to mind easily as Peter found himself mentally lecturing his former consultant on how to take care of himself in the field without being reckless. 

“He risked his life to save ours, and he only killed the man who was pointing his gun at me.”  Elizabeth couldn’t help but state as she tried to make sense of it all.

“What?”

“The man who had held his gun to your head…”  She shivered and clung to Peter’s arm as the image flashed through her mind again.  “After you were shot down, his arm had flown out so he lifted it towards me.  He was going to kill me when Bryce took him out first.”

With tears filling his eyes, Peter realized he had misjudged Bryce.  Maybe, maybe he had more of Neal Caffrey in him than he had originally given credit.

After the night’s experience, Peter could list three things that were still true about Bryce from the man he had been as Neal Caffrey.  He was reckless.  Throwing himself around in the dark on building tops while being shot at wasn’t a wise decision, but he had done it anyway.  Then there was the faith, because he hadn’t questioned Peter’s innocence up there, it was a stated fact and he acted like he was determined to clear his name instead of follow orders to kill him.  Finally, there was loyalty.  He had protected them despite the risk to himself, and he had refrained from killing more than necessary.  Was it because he wouldn’t approve of Bryce murdering, or because Bryce wasn’t such a cold school killer as he had imagined him to be?

Wishing he could get answers, Peter realized that his animosity towards Bryce was beginning to dissipate.  He didn’t see the man as his friend like he had Neal, but he wasn’t such a scary shadow man anymore either.  There was some light being shed making him more human.

*******

Keeping the essence of his promise, Bryce did manage to shed enough doubt on Peter’s guilt to stop the inter agency issues and he directed the danger towards himself.  Although Peter returned to work, life hadn’t regained its normal pace.

Considering everything that had been happening, it wasn’t surprising when a former CIA agent and private contractor was sent in to monitor the situation.  When the team came in, Peter was soon introduced to Charles Carmichael.

“It’s nice to meet you Mr. Carmichael.”  Peter shook the extended hand.

“You as well, Agent Burke.”  The man seemed pleasant enough.

“I understand you’re being sent in to monitor the situation?”  He was curious for the man’s perspective.  No one had been telling him much, only snatches of rumors were floating around due to the high sensitivity of the agencies battling over his life.

“Yes.  The CIA Director has relayed the reports from the lead agent in the field.  He has made use of his license to kill, which means he is also licensed not to kill, and she wants to get the situation cleared up before it gets any worse.”  Chuck summarized.  There wasn’t much to tell considering he didn’t even know who the lead agent was.

“What do you mean, his license not to kill?”  Peter hung on bated breath.  It was very important what it would turn out to mean, he could feel it in his gut.

“That he doesn’t have to kill you, and he refused due to his certainty of your innocence.  The bosses have to honor his decision unless information proves him to be incorrect or biased in his assumptions.”

“So biased, like he used to play a consultant for Peter here in this office?”  The ever helpful junior agent who had been forced onto the White Collar team questioned.

While Jones and Diana glared at him, Peter couldn’t help but fear the contractor’s reaction.

“Who did he play?”  The man was curious, not judgmental.

“Neal Caffrey, he was my partner in the field.”  Peter stated through dry lips.  He was still afraid of causing more trouble.

“Do you have a picture of him?”  Chuck seemed to be trying to help him relax, but it was making him more nervous instead.

“Yeah, in my office.”  A waved hand over his shoulder indicated the direction they should take to get there.

Following him up the stairs, Chuck seemed to be frowning in concentration behind his back until they reached his office.  Then he caught a glimpse of the picture as Peter pulled it out of the Bryce box.  “I put it in here some time ago.  Learning he wasn’t who I knew confused me, and I still don’t know much about the real man.”

“Bryce Larkin!  He’s alive again?”  Chuck was the one reacting, something that comforted Peter.  If the man knew Bryce, maybe he would trust his instincts?

“He got me expelled for cheating, threw me into government work, tried to steal my girl friend back, and then died right in front of me without saying he was okay?”  Peter felt his hopes sinking.  If this man hated Bryce, then he might not trust his word and redirect the government assassins back towards him. “I guess I did hate him for years after all he had done to me… but, did he take into account that I now know the truth?”

Getting Peter’s attention, Chuck questioned him.  “Did Bryce ever say anything about me?  Mention any old school friends from his past?”

“No, I didn’t know you had any association with him until you reacted to his picture.  Is he really that bad of a friend?”  Did he read him right back when his secrets were exposed, or were the more recent encounters more true to form?

“Bryce Larkin is one of the best friends I’ve ever had.  He saved my life by getting me expelled, put me on a path to my current life and learning the truth of my family by throwing me into the government, and she was his girlfriend first and he saw the direction our relationship was going as dangerous for both of us.  I was in danger and she placed me in more danger when she couldn’t take the shot to save me.  Bryce was held at gun point and couldn’t, so Casey had to take the shot.  We could have all been killed if Casey hadn’t been there.”  Chuck had tears shining in his eyes.  “What I don’t understand is why he cut me out, hasn’t contacted me in years.”

“He doesn’t contact me anymore either.  I know he is still around, because he is protecting me from this case, but he doesn’t reach out.  The last time I heard from him he was a voice elusive in the dark as he kept his distance.  There was nothing more than a shadow when he left as protection arrived… he had been shot, and is still out there fighting despite his injury.”

“Sounds like Bryce.”  Chuck sighed before scrubbing his hands over his eyes to clear the tears.  “He died twice to protect my father’s third best creation, bore my hatred for saving my life, and let Sarah go when he realized she didn’t love him anymore.  Every time I learn something more about his life as an agent, it’s either as a legend who literally saved the world in some self sacrificing act of stupidity, or of what he has given up for the job to ensure everyone else gets their happily ever after.  Bryce is even risking the wrath of Washington to give you a fighting chance against this.”

Laughing humorlessly, Chuck added.  “I should have known it was him.  Bryce is the only spy I know capable of being this human to protect and yet such a super spy to take on the entire enemy alone.”

“What is Bryce like?”  The words were out before Peter could stop them.

“It depends on what Bryce you’re asking about.  The civilian I went to school with was a proud nerd who loved to program Zork and play assassin with those sucker cup darts and guns through the school library for fun.  He spoke Klingon and could add numbers faster than a calculator.  That’s why he has backgrounds in computer engineering and accounting.  Computers are fun, and he is good at math.”  Fingering the picture in his hand, Chuck seemed to be a million miles away.  “Then there is the Agent Bryce Larkin.  As an agent, he can come off as cold and uncaring, totally absorbed in the job, but that is how he keeps his focus to complete the task at hand while generally remaining alive.  Although he has been killed multiple times, there are usually traitors involved.  Either he was playing one, or one got behind him in his protection team.”

Shuddering, Peter didn’t like the imagery of the betrayals.  Bryce shouldn’t be both shot and stabbed in the back.  After all, he had stabbed him in the back when he had shunned the man for the reveal of his true identity.  If anything of their friendship had been real on Bryce’s side, Peter was the one who pushed him away.  “You said he was a nerd and liked those orange dart things?”

At Chuck’s nod, he understood a little more.  “What is the importance of May fourth?”

“May the fourth be with you.  It’s a play on ‘May the force be with you,’ from Star Wars.”

“So, that’s why he sent me a card on the fourth… and I’m assuming why he chose to fill the safe house with those little orange darts.”  Peter couldn’t help but smile.  Bryce was sharing little pieces of himself, their friendship had been real on some level.  It was the best he had felt in a few years, until he remembered that it didn’t change the facts.  He had pushed Bryce away and the man was currently off fighting a dangerous battle on his behalf.  “I’m an idiot.”

“Let me guess.”  Chuck broke into his thoughts.  “Neal Caffrey was your best friend and an important part of your life, then he revealed his identity as Bryce Larkin and a spy with assassin training.  You didn’t react well, and now years later you’re beginning to learn the truth of the situation but it seems too late?”

“That… pretty much nails it right on the head.”  Peter was surprised he was so close.  “Let me guess, you did the same thing?”

“Unfortunately.  I hated him for years, then learned some of the truth but had more reason to hate him.  By the time I had learned all of it and had time to come to terms with it, he had died again.”

Afraid for different reasons, Peter didn’t want to lose Bryce before getting the chance to talk to him again.  The man had been his friend, and they could possibly build a new friendship, but he needed to talk to the man, get to know him for Bryce instead of Neal first.

Going to work with Chuck, he shared what little information he had gathered and hoped the man would be able to clear the situation up before Bryce suffered anything too drastic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for reading, commenting/reviewing, leaving kudos, following, and choosing to favorite my stories and I :D
> 
> This month is going to be interesting... I am training for a new department and then 'nesting' into it at my main job which is putting me into full time hours for two weeks on top of my other job and responsibilities.  This is going to constrain my personal and down time through the week days before I get weekends completely off.  Posting will continue as normal through this schedule which will allow consecutive postings through this story's completion, but it is quickly followed up by my trip to Hawaii for a week and a half.  That will block me from posting one, maybe two weeks, at the end of the month.  Then next month I'll be into a new variation of my old schedule with more time again. 


	3. Chapter Three

*******

Working together, Chuck began investigating how Peter was framed and Peter provided what he could to help.  It was a challenging arrangement since it was above the FBI agent’s clearance level, but they made it work.

His inability to participate in the investigation made it easier for Peter to think.  It was a good time for him to come to terms with the man Bryce really was, not a cold blooded killer, but an agent. 

Taking his Bryce box home, he spread the few cards and notes out acrossed the dining table, a familiar action he had often done during his interactions with the Neal alias.

One card displayed the sun and sands of California.  This was probably a reference to Chuck and their years spent at Stanford. 

Bryce had his civilian background in computer engineering and accounting, which wasn’t much different than his education.  At least they were both accountants, and both had gone to school on scholarships, worked, and played sports.  Then there were the shenanigans Bryce and Chuck had gotten up to.  If Peter had been young enough to be their classmate, he could have easily been their third accomplice.  There hadn’t been a fraternity for nerds at his college, but he found kindred interest in Chuck’s stories.

A note came with a picture from Connecticut.  It was a small tourist town on the coast, one familiar to New Englanders, but not overly unique as to draw distant attention.  The location told stories of a young boy meeting people from around the world with tales and skills to share abundantly.  Perhaps that is how he got an interest in Globetrotting and a fascination with people?  It also hinted at a boy with simple origins and comfortable habits.  Was the flashy con man a part of the real person, or the operation persona?  Chuck hinted at a simpler civilian and a flashier agent, but which one was Bryce really?

There was a news article in a simple envelope.  It was about a family being rescued by an unknown stranger.  They had found themselves with car troubles in the wrong neighborhood, only to have a gang approach them for anything valuable they might have as payment for stopping in their territory.  When things were heading towards violence, a dashing young man intervened and assisted them in getting safe passage out of the area.  The story told of a hero who hadn’t shared a name, insisted upon remaining anonymous, so they did a public interest story to thank him.  Was Bryce showing him why he was an agent, to help people?

Then there was the dart with the suction cup.  The little orange toy seemed so harmless, and yet it told a story of potential violence.  There weren’t silencers on the toys, and they tended to make noise when fired, but Bryce has still managed to evade their protection and filled their safe house with the little nuisances.  He even shot Peter in the head with one.

It was almost funny after the fact, when he was no longer certain Bryce was going to kill him anyway.  There weren’t many assassins who would infiltrate full FBI security simply to play a prank on their target.  Most would kill once they put forth that kind of effort. 

Bryce, was a different story though.  He was a nerd, and a friend.  So his actions seemed rather fitting.  More of a ‘Don’t worry.  I’m not going to hurt you.  I could have, but I won’t.  Trust me.’

Hanging his head, Peter felt ashamed.  He hadn’t trusted Bryce, and had instead felt fear and confusion by the action.

The realization that he had shunned his closest and best friend… for nothing more than his fears of a perceived threat… Peter found himself angry for his act of idiocy and sorrowed for the estrangement he had caused.  Haunted by the pained expression he had seen on Bryce’s face, he realized he had hurt his friend more than Bryce had ever hurt him.  He was the cruel one of the two, the heartless one who was prejudice against his best friend by mentally portraying him as a cruel villain based on bad television shows.  What had he done? 

Vowing to rectify his mistake, Peter was at a loss as to how to go about it.  How did you contact a person who had promised you would never see them again?

*******

Presenting the idea to Elizabeth, he wasn’t thrilled with her suggestion.

“Put up a sign.”  When he seemed to react like it was a joke, she put her hands on her hips like he often did.  “I’m not kidding, Peter.  Do you recall an ‘I love Italian’ poster board?”

“How could I forget, it is part of what helped me get the courage up to ask you out.”  Peter smiled fondly at the memory.

“Exactly, and see how well it worked?”  She smiled as she kissed his cheek.  “Simply put some kind of message in your car, our home window, and on your desk.  He is more likely to see the car or our home, but it doesn’t hurt to cover the bases.”

“He said we would never see him again… and minus one exception where he saved our lives, he has kept to it.  What makes you think he is around to see the messages?”  Peter couldn’t believe there was a point to putting up a sign.  It wasn’t like Bryce was following them like he had a probie follow Elizabeth.

Going quiet, Elizabeth made him question her sudden silence.  “What happened?”

Moving around to sit in his lap, Elizabeth knew Peter would feel more comfortable with his arms around her for what she had to share.  “I was walking between meetings, because one of my clients had requested to meet at a coffee shop instead of the office.  When I passed by an alley, I was pulled into it and surrounded by a group of men.  One of them had a knife, while another had a gun, and they were probably all armed with something.”  She snuggled into her husband and was comforted by his arms tightening around her.  “The leader… he, he started talking about my appearance.  Giving the impression that they were going to…”  She shivered and ducked her head under Peter’s chin while feeling him go stiff around her.  “Anyway, their taunting and behavior was hyping toward their intent when a traq dart knocked out the man closest to me.  Then more darts fired knocking the people out until they were all unconscious.  When I looked up into the shadows above me, I could just see where he was sitting.”

“Bryce.”  It was reassuring how easy it was to picture Bryce crouching up in the shadows as Elizabeth’s protector.  Peter felt no fear knowing the assassin was in a position where he could have killed Elizabeth without trying.  His best friend wasn’t like that, even if there were people out there who would.

“Yes.  He didn’t say much to me.  Mostly, he told me he would take care of the men who attacked me, and that I should get going if I was going to make my meeting on time.”  Despite the fear the memory had brought up, she was able to smile slightly.  “Bryce also promised to watch over us.  That we wouldn’t see him as he had originally said, but he would keep watch from a distance and step forward when we needed him.”

“So, you think a sign would actually work?  That he would read it and might be willing to talk?”  He still wasn’t sure.

“I’m sure he would read it, but how he would react… I can’t predict that.  Although, I’d like to think he still cherishes our friendship enough to give us a chance.  He has shown his willingness to risk his life and job to protect us, so why not have a conversation?”  She was relaxing more knowing their friend was protecting them and that they were going to try and reach out to him.

Sighing as he held his wife cuddled in his arms, Peter hoped he would soon be able to have his best friend back.  “I hope so.  It would be great to have him back in our lives again.  There has been a void in our lives, like my little brother left.”

“He’s still around, just more of a shadow man than an active presence.”

Keeping his arms wrapped around his wife, Peter was more grateful to their friend than ever.  He had not only saved their lives, he had always protected Elizabeth when she needed him most.  Feeling the tears well up in his eyes from the sorrow, he felt the ache keenly.  His wife had been in danger, his best friend had saved her, and he couldn’t even hug the man in gratitude.

*******

Although he felt silly, Peter was determine to reach out to his friend, so he worked with Elizabeth to put the signs together.  One was placed in their car, there was one in every window throughout their home, and another on each of their work desks.  If Bryce was paying any attention to the places they were most frequently, he would see some note or another.

With a ‘Bryce, we need to talk.’ note framed and facing the window, Peter hoped his friend would spy on him at work sometime.  Maybe he would call him up or hack his computer?  How they talked didn’t really matter, but a conversation was needed.

“What’s with the new frame?”  Diana asked.

Turning it around, Peter let her read it for herself.  “El’s idea.  She used a poster board to encourage me to ask her out, so she theorizes Bryce will read one of them and reach out.”

“Are you sure he’ll see them?  I doubt the CIA lets him roam New York like it’s his playground.”  She was as skeptical as he had been.

“Maybe.  Elizabeth say’s he saved her life yesterday, and he promised to be watching over us from a distance, so there is a chance he’ll eventually see one.”  Peter had hope, and he wasn’t letting it go so easily.

Smiling, Diana liked it.  “Bryce as your guardian angel.  It’s oddly fitting…”  She smirked playfully.

Enjoying the return of their old banter about Bryce, Peter smiled back feeling lighter than he had in a long time.  “I thought mine would be a little less prone to trouble himself, but then Bryce was always watching out for me, even when he was playing a con.”  There was the poisoning when he had saved his life for certain, and countless other times when he could have made all of the difference between life and death, but they would never know.

“He is good at playing the secret protector.  I’m sure he has probably saved all of our lives at some point, even if it didn’t seem like it at the time.  Bryce is trained to be one of those unsung heroes, one of those people who create ‘what might have been’ with every job they do.  As long as we don’t notice their work, they are successful, and we never noticed his spy work until everything was revealed.” 

“There are legends out there.  Now that we know where to look, we can guess some of his activities.”  Jones entered the conversation with a smile while dropping a folder in front of Peter.  “If you want to look at that, it’s a collection of high profile acquisitions the CIA has allegedly been making.  The thefts have Bryce’s finger prints all over them, with some even fitting his old MO.  I think he is more thief than the agency would like us to know about.”  The comments were lighthearted and friendly. 

Intrigued, Peter thought it might be time to start tracking Bryce after all.  If he wasn’t going to reach out, then he should start searching.  The man could disappear and pop up at will, but he had learned a lot about him in their time spent working together.  Maybe he could treat it like a personal case, off the books, to try and find his old friend.

“I know that smile.  The chase is on and a game is a foot.”  Diana had a Cheshire grin.  “Can we help?”

“You already have.”  Peter acknowledged by holding up their file.  The two agents had obviously been watching for some time, but the file wasn’t as large as it would have been if Bryce was looking to be found.  This time he was completely the spy on a mission, and there wouldn’t be a bread crumb trail to keep his alias three dimensional.  “We are going to find a way of reaching out more broadly, but first we have to figure out how.”

Strategizing, the three agents were soon joined by Chuck.  He was also eager to reach out to his friend since knowing he was alive.

*******

Several months past before the White Collar team was instructed to work with an Agent Bryce Larkin for a case.  Chuck was sent back from California and they were supposed to be wrapping up the work from the joint operation to clear Peter’s name.

Eagerly waiting for the man to enter the office, Peter was dismayed to see a man with red hair and green eyes, instead of the dark haired and blue eyed person he had been expecting.  Whispering to Chuck, he asked if there was a second Bryce Larkin in the CIA, or if Bryce was trying to hide from them in plain sight.  “If he is wearing a disguise, then he is taking this whole ‘never see him again’ to an extreme.”

Using his phone, Chuck couldn’t verify it for certain, but he didn’t believe there was another Bryce Larkin in the agency.  “If there is, then his file is sealed, blacked out, and remove from the main system.”

“Which means that is our friend hiding from us.”  Peter sighed, he knew he had hurt Bryce, but he hadn’t expected him to take measures this drastic when they were forced to work together.  “Does he hate us now?  Because we pushed him away?”

“I hope not.  It’s been years since I’ve seen him and even longer since we’ve been able to talk… I mean really talk, without the awkwardness anyway.”  Chuck was also disappointed.  He had looked forward to setting some records straight with his friend, but it looked like they were going to have a tougher time of it than they expected.  Which wasn’t easy, especially considering how stubborn they had predicted Bryce to be.

Unable to call Bryce into his office where they could grill him, Peter was forced to let the case progress professionally.  He needed his name cleared the rest of the way and the awkwardness between the agencies to stop, at least as far as he and his friend were concerned.  There was no way he was going to let some FBI or CIA order prevent him from talking to his best friend.

*******

“Honey… we need to talk.”  Elizabeth seemed nervously excited as she settled in to cuddle on the couch with Peter.  It had been a long day for him and she had news to share.

“Did Bryce contact you?”  Peter jumped to conclusions.

“No, he hasn’t been anywhere near me as far as I can tell.”  Elizabeth had to admit, but she wasn’t going to let her emotions be swayed.  She had good news and she needed to share it.

“Then what is it?”  Peter was curious.  He would have been concerned, but Elizabeth was too excited for that to be necessary.

“Remember those times you’ve talked about a hole in our lives, a void that needed to be filled.  Something neither Satchmo nor the Neal alias could ever fill?”  Seeing his confusion, she continued without giving him time to think too long.  Grabbing his hand, she put it on her abdomen indicating that something was there.

 “Are you… we?”  Peter’s head started spinning.

“Yes, we are parents!”  She smiled into his excited kiss.  “I took the test last night while you were at work and got the official test with the doctor today.”

Relaxing with his wife for a while, Peter enjoyed the happy conversation. 

Broaching the topic, Elizabeth asked if any names jumped to mind for him.

“Neal Bryce seems to be rolling around up there.”  Peter admitted.  He didn’t say he wanted to name their child after their friend, but as the thought occurred to him, it was something he considered.

Running it through her mind for a few minutes, Elizabeth didn’t seem to be rejecting it.  “Neal Bryce Burke.  Neal for the man we first met and befriended, and to help avoid confusion.  Bryce for the legendary agent we hope to bring back into our lives as his uncle.  I like it for a boy, but I get to name them if they’re a girl.”  She teased.

Kissing her on the nose, Peter had no problem with the arrangement.

“No telling anyone right away though.  I want this baby to be our little secret for the first little while.  Once we know the gender, then we can announce to everyone.”  Elizabeth had one other request.

“It’ll be hard, but I think we can manage.”  Peter knew it would be easier without Bryce in the picture, because the agent would either deduce the facts, or he wouldn’t be able to keep the secret from his friend for that long.

*******

As the case drew to a close, Elizabeth had another announcement to make.  She had a new client who was throwing a secret surprise party for some friends of his, and because he was so busy, he was letting Elizabeth decide nearly everything.  “Mr. Anderson seems to have a lot of faith in my tasted, because he is barely setting any guidelines.”

“What did he request of you?”  Peter wondered.

“I am to arrange for a small gathering with less than a dozen guests.  A few stipulations on food as one has some special request, the date, time, and location.  ‘Decorate as if this was for you and your closest friends.’  How easy is that on one side, but hard on the other?  This party isn’t for us, but for his friends, so how am I to know what they will like?”  She was excited and nervous at the same time.  It was a unique event and worthy of discussion.

“Anderson?  Is there a first name to go with that?” 

“Bruce, Bruce Anderson.  Why, does the name mean something to you?” 

“Chuck has told me some stories of a Bruce Anderson.  He is Bryce Larkin’s alias.  What did this man look like?”  It had crossed his mind that it might be Bryce in another one of his disguises.

“Tall, slender, but blonde with gray eyes.  He doesn’t look anything like Bryce.”

“Neither does the Bryce Larkin we are working with.  He has red hair and green eyes, while the one we know has dark brown hair with blue eyes.  I wonder if he is all of them, but is continuing to hide from us.  Chuck is sure we are working with Bryce, but we haven’t been able to prove it, so maybe you are now too.”  It was a working theory, but they needed to validate it.

Intrigued, Elizabeth hoped he was right.  “What do you think he would be celebrating?  Our baby, your name finally being cleared the rest of the way, or something else?”

“Maybe more than one thing?”  Peter wasn’t sure how Bryce would know they were expecting, unless he had bugged their house.  Something he wasn’t thrilled by, even from Bryce.

“Stop staring at the wall.  I doubt Bryce bugged our place.  It’s more likely he is planning to celebrate your name being cleared and is looking to make a surprise appearance.  If he is working with you and has seen our signs, maybe he is getting ready to come back into our lives?”

Hugging his wife, Peter couldn’t help but stare at the wall despite the odds against it being bugged.  Still, if it meant having his friend back in his life, he could deal with a temporary bug if it meant his friend had heard his change of heart and growing understanding of how poorly he had treated him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for reading, reviewing/commenting, leaving kudos, following, and choosing to favorite :D  
> This story will wrap up next week right before I go on a road trip and Hawaii for nearly two weeks.  During that period, feel free to check out my profile page and choose which story you would like to see next :D  
> Training is basically done, we still have some sub departments and changes to learn, but this week will focus on 'nesting' into the new department.


	4. Chapter Four

*******

As the case was wrapping up, Peter stood on the landing watching Bryce leave the office.  It was questionable whether he would return to the office or not, so Peter had to try something.  Calling out like he had many times before, he barked “Neal.”

Turning in his tracks, Bryce had been trained to react to that voice and name.  Knowing he had blown the charade, he saw Chuck’s puppy dog expression as he turned before retreating from the office.

Giving chase, Peter entered the hallway just in time to see a gap in the Elevator doors closing.  Seeing the empty car, he knew Bryce had taken the stairs.  Catching a lift, he hit the numbers for a few floors down hoping to get a lead on his friend.

Riding the car down, he tried to keep his patience, but couldn’t help watching the floors count down until his stop.  Exiting the elevator, he hurried for the stairs and went through the door as quietly as possible.

He was in luck, it had timed out perfectly because Bryce walked past the very doorway he was going through. 

Grabbing Bryce by his shoulders, Peter pushed him into the wall giving him the leverage to keep a better hold of him.  It hurt to see the surprise followed by fear flash acrossed Bryce’s face, but he had to keep going while he could.

“Don’t…”  Bryce softly pleaded as he tried to avoid meeting Peter’s eyes.

“I have to.  This is the first time I’ve had a real chance to talk to you in three years, and I’m not wasting the opportunity.”  Peter squeezed Bryce’s shoulders tighter while commanding him.  “Look at me.”

It took a little coaxing, but Bryce pulled up some masks before turning to face him.

Fighting the pain he felt from seeing the masks, Peter knew he had to speak while he could.  “I’m sorry.  You can’t imagine how sorry I am for the way I treated you when it was revealed who you really are.  There is no reason beyond my idiotic perspective for the way I reacted.  You aren’t some cold blooded killer, or a heartless spy.”  Bryce flinched as he said what he had previously thought.  Shaking him slightly, Peter pulled him back to their conversation.  “It wasn’t fair for me to judge you based on a bias founded on fiction.  The Bryce Larkin I’ve been learning about is more of an unsung hero, someone who saves the world while asking for nothing in return.  A nerdy accountant isn’t something I can complain about, considering I am an accountant too.  Computer engineering wasn’t something I had expected, but it makes more sense as I learn who you are.  And as much as I couldn’t laugh when you did it, it was fitting for you to shoot those little darts in the safe house.  Something a nerdy friend would do to lighten up a scary situation.”

As Bryce tried to make an escape again, Peter pulled him into a hug and held him close.  “Don’t leave again.  I’ve spent the last three years coming to terms with everything, and I’ve missed my best friend.  Please, don’t disappear on us again.”

“Have you ever seen your best friend look at you in fear…”  Bryce choked at the memory.  “Or learned you creep them out?”  He whispered.

“Yes, I saw your fear just a few moments ago, and it wasn’t something I ever want to see in your eyes again.”  For a few moments he simply stood with Bryce held close, relishing the knowledge that his friend was safe and present in his life.  Even if it was only for a minute.

“Hey, did you find Bryce?”  Peter was bumped by the door opening behind him as Chuck caught up.  He had also gone looking for their friend.

Distracted by the door and Chuck, Peter was forced to let Bryce go.  Turning to see who had interrupted the conversation, Peter was dismayed to feel Bryce slip from his grasp and disappear down the stairs.

Realizing what he had done, Chuck apologized.  “I’m sorry, it looks like I interrupted and he got away again.”

Moving together, they talked about Peter having managed to say some of what he wanted before Chuck interrupted.  “I don’t know if it was enough to keep him around, I hurt him.  He… was definitely hurt by what I did to him, and now I have to pay the price.”

Entering another floor to use the elevator, Peter was dismayed to see some other agents blocking their path. 

“You’re coming with us.”  The leader said with their guns drawn. 

With no choice, Peter and Chuck followed orders rather than ending up dead in the Bureau.

*******

Peter was later told that Bryce reentered the office with fire in his eyes after learning of their abduction.

“Where were they taken from?”  He bellowed. 

“Umm, the office… a few floors below ours.”  Diana admitted.  “According to the security footage, they exited the stairwell, and then in a camera visual blind spot the audio recorded someone approach them before leading them off at gun point.  They didn’t go through security downstairs, and we have no record of where they were taken.  Security has been over the building with a fine tooth comb, but there is no trace of them.”

Turning on his heel, Bryce went to the security office and pulled the tapes for the area he suspected.  Racing back to the office, he ran the tapes and showed exactly how Chuck and Peter had been abducted from the FBI.  “We are dealing with corrupt agents.”

Working with Jones and Diana, he led the team to collect evidence, followed the trail, and discovered the location they were being held at.

Entering the location, he led the rescue team through the hallways and to the locked room.  Opening the door, he was confronted by several armed men who engaged him in combat.  Fighting the men away from the prisoners, he ended up shot, but kept the situation from turning deadly.

While the other agents released the unconscious prisoners and cleaned up the situation, medics entered the room to tend to the injuries.  Bryce had been shot, but Peter and Chuck had been beaten.

*******

Waking up in the hospital a few days later, Peter wondered who had rescued them.

“Bryce.  He was fire and gasoline to make the agencies work together and organize your rescue.  The brass gave in and made him the lead agent since he was the only person everyone was willing to work with.  We knew he would do anything to bring you back, and the CIA had the same feeling about his bond with Chuck.”  Diana explained to Peter and Elizabeth. 

“He also finished the case for clearing your name.  You’re clear of the CIA now… unless Bryce is willing to stick around as a friend.”  Jones added.

“Where is he?  Has he been around?”  Peter questioned.

“Not that I’ve seen.”  Elizabeth stroked his hair and was happy to have him awake after the concern for his safety. 

“We haven’t seen him either.  His injury was tended and he was gone as soon as the paperwork was finished.”  Jones answered the other question.

“Has there been any mysterious person lurking around the hallway, or a doctor unaccounted for?”  Peter wondered.  Bryce had been pulling disguises on them before the abduction, so he was likely doing so again.

“I believe Mozzie has been by at least once, but he is the only person I’m aware of lurking in the hallway.”  Diana was amused.

“It’s a comfort knowing Mozzie is still around, but Bryce is the person I was hoping for.”  Peter was disappointed.  He had feared  Bryce’s disappearance, but he had hoped the man would at least pay him a visit while he was in the hospital.

“Maybe he is tied up with his own injuries and government red tape?  That was a large case and he was the lead agent in charge of closing it all down.”  Jones suggested hopefully. 

“Possibly, but I know he could reach out if he wanted to.”  Peter was dejected to realize.

Unable to contradict his conclusion, the others felt as depressed as he did.  Why wouldn’t Bryce simply stay in contact?

“He’s going to disappear again… because of me.  It was him with the paper in the coffee shop, and it was my reaction to him revealing his real identity that caused him to leave in the first place.”  Peter lamented his behavior even more.  Bryce’s words explained why the notes and cards had stopped.  Since Peter didn’t answer, Bryce thought he found his contact creepy.  If only he had said something, anything to prevent looking afraid when he wasn’t.  Perhaps his words would have their affect on Bryce in the long run?

*******

As soon as Peter and Chuck were out of the hospital, they each found an invitation hand addressed to them for the event Elizabeth had been hired to plan.  It was the confirmation they had been looking for, that Bryce was in fact Bruce Anderson and paying for a party to celebrate the ending of the case which cleared Peter’s name.

Entering the event, everyone hoped Bryce would show up.  Whether it was as the red headed Bryce Larkin, blond Bruce Anderson, suave Neal Caffrey, or simply his dark haired self, they didn’t care as long as he showed up.

Looking around, Peter noticed every friendly face associated with him and Neal Caffrey/Bryce Larkin.  June, Sara, Jones, Diana, Hughes, team Bartowski, Mozzie, Elizabeth, and himself were in attendance.  No wonder Elizabeth had been instructed to plan the party as if it was for her and friends.

Meandering around the space, Peter enjoyed the event.  It was perfect for them.  The food, space, people, and atmosphere were all suited to their tastes and comforts. 

“It was kind of Bryce to pay for this, and Elizabeth made it almost perfect.”

“Almost?”  Elizabeth questioned her husband.

“The one thing missing is the person who paid for it.  I don’t care which name or get up he appears in, but I hope he is around somewhere.”  Or at least listening in; if he saw them missing him, maybe it would help reinforce their words?

Although Bryce never showed up, the group enjoyed the evening and strengthened their friendships.  Bryce wasn’t actively being a part of their lives, but he chose his friends well and they were growing closer for the common interest of their missing friend.

*******

Sitting on his patio with Chuck, Peter was enjoying one last conversation in person before team Bartowski returned to California.  The women were inside talking, they were on the patio, and the others were watching from afar to see if Bryce showed up. 

“What would you like to tell him most if he were here?”  Chuck wondered. 

“That I’m naming my son after him.  He’s going to be Neal Bryce Burke and it would be nice for him to know his uncle Bryce.”

“Me too, but Stephen Bryce after him and my father.”  Pausing for a sip, Chuck stared blankly at the foliage around them from the barriers the Burkes had constructed for privacy.  “He is one of my best friends… and I haven’t seen him in years.  You know, I think I would like to order him to disregard what my father told him.  Bryce is welcome in my life, and I want to see him around.”

“Your father told him not to contact you?”  It was something Peter had been curious about.

“Yeah, I was able to talk to my mom and ask her if she knew anything about it.  She and my dad were in contact despite her being trapped undercover.  Apparently, my dad was furious with Bryce for getting me into government work, something they had both worked hard to protect me from, so he ordered him to break all contact and disappear.  The fact Bryce was killed within a few hours after that almost seems like he did it on purpose, except there wasn’t time for him to plan something like that because he left my father with a traitorous agent.” 

“A part of me wishes I could blame losing my best friend on someone else, but it’s all on my shoulders.  I’m the one who hurt him, the one who pushed him away, and the one who didn’t answer when I was asked if it was creepy for him to be sending me notes and cards.  By the way, it isn’t creepy.  It’s just the way he has always been with me, and something I’ve missed since he stopped.  At least when he was sending things I knew he was alive out there somewhere.  Instead, I have nightmares worrying about him and look through the crowds hoping I don’t miss him again.  In short, I’m an idiot and there isn’t anyone else to blame.”  He lamented.  If only Bryce could hear what he was saying and was willing to forgive him.  “The second thing I would want to talk to him about, is asking for his forgiveness.”

“My second thing is saying ‘thank you.’  The man saved my entire family, caused me to meet his ex-girlfriend who is now my wife, and threw me into this life.  Although it’s been rough sometimes, I’m a second generation spy, I found my family, and have learned what I can do.  I’m not just some nerdy gamer who’s highest aspirations are to program video games, but someone who can use my skills to save lives and make a difference in the world.  Bryce had confidence in me when no one else did, he pushed me to accomplish the impossible, and he made sure I had a safety net to catch me when I needed it.  There isn’t a part of my life he hasn’t helped to improve… and I never thanked him for everything he has done.  He died while I was still working through my jealousy and anger.”

“Here’s to being the idiots who lost our best friend.”  Peter lifted his drink in a toast.

Meeting him in the middle to clink bottles, Chuck agreed.  “Here, here.”

While they were drinking, the back door opened and their wives joined them.  They had been inside enjoying girl talk since they each knew about the other’s baby and were both expecting at the same time.

“What are you toasting?”  Elizabeth asked as she moved next to Peter while showing him a note.

“How we were both idiotic enough to let Bryce go, he’s our best friend.”  Peter answered as he took the note.  Perking up, he was thrilled to read the contents.  Bryce was there, he was just the other side of their barrier listening… and had been the whole time.  He had heard his words, the things he most wanted to share with him.

Turning the note around for Chuck to see, Chuck showed him his note.  Reading the other message, Peter learned that Morgan and Casey had tried to contact them about Bryce’s presence, but he had intercepted the communication.  Instead, Morgan had ducked into the house through the front to inform the others who joined them on the patio in the hopes of getting him to come out and talk to them. 

Holding up a second note, Sarah informed them that Morgan had returned to his post and Casey was going to block Bryce’s exit.  This was their chance to work on him together.

Speaking louder than necessary, to reinforce the fact they knew he was there and were talking to him, Peter called out.  “I know what I would like.  For my best friend to come out from behind the trellis and join the conversation in person.  He’s been spotted.”  He stood up to face the direction Bryce would come from.

With a sheepish expression, Bryce quietly walked out into view.  He might as well after they pointed out exactly where he was.  “Hi.”

“Hi.” came back universally at him.  They were excited to see him, but it had been years and none of them knew for certain what to say. 

“Welcome back.”  Peter said the first thing that came to mind as he stepped forward to hug his best friend again.  This time there weren’t any disguises between them, no shadows for Bryce to hide in, and no fear.

Moving to hug him as well, each of the others showed their affection and how pleased they were to have him back in their lives.

Quietly congratulating the parents, Bryce was genuinely happy for them, but uncertain as to how to fit in.  It had been years since he was close to any of them.

Putting him into a chair, Peter gathered more seating until everyone was relaxing around the table and Satchmo was curled up by their feet.

“So, tell us what you’ve been doing with yourself.  It’s been a long time since we’ve been able to catch up.”  He encouraged Bryce to tell what he could about his life since leaving them.  It wasn’t a happy tale, but it showed them how important they were to him.  They grounded him and provided him with a safe landing place.

Leaning back into his seat as the conversation got smoother and everyone joined in, Peter couldn’t help but think about how happy he was in that moment.  His wife was sitting to one side of him expecting their son, his new friends were sitting acrossed from him enjoying the conversation, and his best friend was sitting beside him for the first time in years. 

Watching the smile slowly grow on Bryce’s face, Peter knew they were repairing the damage they had done as the man grew more comfortable with them.  Bryce was back, and this time he wasn’t going to disappear.  There would be notes and cards, random visits, and he would be there to tell little Neal stories of his namesake. 

There wouldn’t be the partnership again, because they worked in two different fields and agencies, but Bryce could consult in his down time.  The team missed him and the FBI had shown interest in his skills since learning his real identity.  Maybe something could be arranged?

Smiling broadly himself, Peter met Bryce’s eyes and exchanged an old expression.  Fear’s reprisal sent his best friend away, but trust brought him back.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for reading, reviewing, leaving kudos, following, and choosing to favorite :D
> 
> Starting tomorrow after work, I am off for nearly two weeks. My siblings and I are going on a road trip and flying to Hawaii for a few days so I will not be posting. While I'm gone, please check out my profile page and vote for which story you would like to read next through review/comment or PM :D

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you everyone for reading, commenting/reviewing, leaving kudos, following, and choosing to favorite my stories and I :D


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